Hey folks, it seems an old timer and a moderator (at least when time allows) will weigh in.I was here from the very beginning. I know what the board was and how it came to be behind the scenes and what the world saw. But all that really doesn't matter.What does is that this is a forum for live fire cooking. Regardless of fuel or rig or even high or low heat. It's about the food. We are here solely by the grace of Workman and Steven. As a result we play be their rules and their hopes and dream and desires of what this board is and will be. As a result we must remember to be open to all and to not bite the hand that feeds us. Many of the issues I read here of "it didn't used to be that way" well some of that is just a sign of the times. Back in the beginning unless you were a web person you didn't have a blog or even a page. Food Network was in its infancy. There weren't a lot off BBQ shows. Now everyone has a blog or a Facebook page. It's just so easy to share content and self promote. And with loads of cooking content on TV and reality cooking shows now everyone aspires to be a TV star. Not saying this is good, bad or indifferent just the way it is now. I am pretty sure that you won't reach that goal here though. But lets keep this in mind that this site unlike so many others isn't selling or promoting, 99% of what is discussed other than Steven's books or Products (and his products didn't exist back in the day). So it is through Workman and Steven that we are permitted to have the broad discussions we do. We must always remember and respect them for that and not abuse or take advantage of that. It is not about us as members of the board, it is about the community.As to people being active...well I am a perfect example. I started as a guest and posted and contributed enough that I was asked to be among the first group of moderators. At the sites origins there were none at all. We were asked to volunteer. We do this on our own time and are not paid or in any way associated with Workman or Steven. We have seen great folks come and go for their own reasons. I personally answered many posts created many and did lots of behind the scenes duties, including editing, and deleting posts. At the time the board was being built. There was a need and demand for time and posts. It was years until Sticky Threads and FAQ's were created. Then, for me, as with many of us, both moderator and non life got in the way. Work, family, and everything else. Am is still cooking, you betcha. I still average 300 racks, 3 hogs, 40 butts, 20 gallons of beans, countless chicken pieces and steaks and burgers etc etc etc a year. I do this over gas, wood, pellet on rigs that range from cheap and small to very expensive full competition rig. And no I'm not a caterer or a pro cook in any way. I just don't have the time to post about it, or take pictures either. But unlike in the past I don't know if you need me too. The board has become established. Many moons ago the site was starving for content. There was very little here. Now a search will yield hundreds and hundreds of results. At some point are we just restating or reshowing the same info and pictures? I get new content keeps things fresh but at the same time it is up to everyone not just a few anymore to do that. At the same time this site unlike many others is about education. And with all education people move on. They "graduate" or even get bored. Perhaps they come back perhaps they don't. There will always be more folks looking for help and to learn. If folks need help, they will ask, if they want to contribute great, if they choose to just lurk and lean well that is fine too.All that said we must also remember that if we can't all get along, can't play nice, and keep the site open friendly, helpful, informative to everyone and all then it may cease to exist. For my part I'll try to get around more often.

Let's all take a step back and a deep breath, OK? This thread has good potential for some positive results if we keep it going in the right direction. Now for some thoughts...

First of all, personal conflicts and disputes need to be resolved privately even if they started publicly (the old saying about one's dirty laundry), and I know everyone here is capable of working things out with a little effort. This board has been remarkably free of wars over the years and there's no reason it can't continue to be.

As far as activity goes, if you (collectively) want things to pick up around here, participate. It's that simple. Don't wait for somebody else to get the ball rolling; be proactive as well as reactive. Everyone's welcome, and jumping ship because the board's slow isn't going to make things any better.

Those of you who blog are more than welcome to put links in your signatures, but what's disappointing is that infrequent post that's effectively nothing more than a tease and forces the reader to visit the blog to get the whole story. It'd be appreciated if blog-linking posts contained at least all of the important details and the link provided the icing on the cake, so to speak. This way everybody benefits.

Personally I think a sticky thread about kamado cookers might be a pretty good idea. It's a style that's really popular now and consolidating kamado-specific posts could be useful to those who have or are considering one, and if it encourages people from other, more kamado-oriented boards to pay us a visit from time to time I'm all for it.

As far as activity goes, if you (collectively) want things to pick up around here, participate. It's that simple. Don't wait for somebody else to get the ball rolling; be proactive as well as reactive.

I forgot to mention that we all know that sometimes life changes and the free time and ability to participate can decrease, as evidenced by GS's post above. And that's different than just "not posting", which is what I was referring to.

Personally I think a sticky thread about kamado cookers might be a pretty good idea. It's a style that's really popular now and consolidating kamado-specific posts could be useful to those who have or are considering one, and if it encourages people from other, more kamado-oriented boards to pay us a visit from time to time I'm all for it.

Actually, I'll be posting a couple of polls (or maybe more?) in the next few days regarding that. Not only should we create a few new sticky threads including one for kamado cookers, but there are some other threads that should likely be "unstuck" as well. I'll be starting with the latter, but it might take a few days to get the wording right as the poll options for the new version of the board are different.

Unlike propane, you'll never wake up scorched and naked in another county because you mishandled a bag of briquettes.

Personally I think a sticky thread about kamado cookers might be a pretty good idea. It's a style that's really popular now and consolidating kamado-specific posts could be useful to those who have or are considering one, and if it encourages people from other, more kamado-oriented boards to pay us a visit from time to time I'm all for it.

Actually, I'll be posting a couple of polls (or maybe more?) in the next few days regarding that. Not only should we create a few new sticky threads including one for kamado cookers, but there are some other threads that should likely be "unstuck" as well. I'll be starting with the latter, but it might take a few days to get the wording right as the poll options for the new version of the board are different.

I am making a return here after over a six-month absence, mostly because I couldn't believe what I was hearing about this particular thread. And I'm sorry Brad, but I am not going to sit around the campfire holding hands with everybody and singing Kumbya. I do respect your efforts around here and you are the only moderator that I consider to be an active moderator.

What is going on with this board is not a recent phenomenon. I saw it happening over 2 1/2 years ago. At that time I made some back channel communications with a few of the moderators expressing my concern for what was happening on the board. While the moderators I communicated with shared many of my concerns, it seemed like for everyone else I was basically saying the sky was falling. Well guess what? I wasn't crazy and what I feared is exactly what happened.

When I joined this board over eight years ago, no post went unanswered. One or more moderators would log into the board one or more times a day and respond to every new post. They might not always have an answer for the poster, but they would say thanks for the post and I'm sure someone here will respond to you shortly. Or they would welcome new people to the board. Or they would make posts to try and stir up some discussion: like: "What are folks making this weekend? I know ScreamingChicken does some of this, but there used to be a lot more of it by all the moderators. I realize that life has changed for many folks and they don't have as much time for this board, but then they should step down as moderators. Period. If the users don't see you, what good is that? Or perhaps these long time moderators do the behind-the-scenes tasks and a new crop of public facing moderators is selected to work with the posters. Other than ScreamingChicken, who I'm excluding from any of the criticism in these remarks, months would go by before you would see a post from any of the other moderators.

As for the comment about less activity on barbecue boards, my real world experience tells me that is pure BS. I have moved onto a new board and it is amazing how active it is. Some days it borders on almost too active. Around here lately you could make a post and fewer folks might read it, and less and less would respond. On my new board I make a post and sometimes I have an answer to my question before I even refreshed my screen to return to the main page. I've made posts that have had 30 or 40 replies. Once upon a time this board used to be so active sometimes I couldn't keep up with it, posts would disappear off the front page in a matter of hours instead of days or weeks like now. Things like this used to happen around here all the time, but haven't for years. IMHO the comment about people posting pictures and then linking to their blogs is totally ignorant. You guys are lucky you can even get those posts, so I'd not repeat that one again. While I would always make a full picture posts here, as well as a picture post on my website I completely understood why other folks chose to post a few pictures here and link to their blogs. It takes a LOT of time and effort to make such a post. With the amount of people viewing posts on this board lately, it seems silly to go through that time and effort in two places. Start the post here and if people are interested they can follow it. Nothing wrong with that, makes total sense. Like I said, at this point you're lucky to have that.

And I'm totally shaking my head about some of CanadaBBQGuy's comments about the Big Green Egg. I think it speaks for itself when over 50% of the most prolific posters and most gifted grillers and smokers here bought Big Green Eggs in the last couple years. Until you've used a Big Green Egg you really can't appreciate how good it is. I got my first large BGE in August and started turning out the best food I ever grilled or smoked. It wasn't that I suddenly upped my game, the BGE had upped my game. I stopped using my grill or smoker and got a second large BGE last January. The grill is that good. But there are other types of kamado cookers and other great grills out there too. I also agree with the comments that this place is about the food. Just because I got a new grill never make me any less interested in some other great stuff that my old buddy Beercuer, for example, was posting. I really don't think any of the folks that were BGE owners who were posting on this board were snobs about it. Sure they were sharing some of their enthusiasm for it, but it is amazing grille. Sure I might say I cooked something on my Egg or BGE, but I also would say I grilled something on my KE or smoked something on my CG. That is just natural. I certainly wouldn't say I cooked something on my ceramic kamado cooker. There are quite a few folks who migrated from this forum over to the new forum and they were good guys here and are still good guys there. So let's not lump all BGE owners into one basket.

I must say it was very hard for me to leave this forum, and the "brain trust" really had to work hard at it to do it. But now I’ve found a place that is a better fit for my barbecuing needs and I plan to stay there. I will check this place from time to time to see what becomes of it, but it will be even harder work to get me back. I just thought I would add my $.22 worth because some of the excuses I'm hearing from around here struck me is totally ridiculous.

I realize that life has changed for many folks and they don't have as much time for this board, but then they should step down as moderators. Period. If the users don't see you, what good is that? Or perhaps these long time moderators do the behind-the-scenes tasks and a new crop of public facing moderators is selected to work with the posters.

We may possibly be missing the point of exactly what the moderators are here for, I know I probably don't have much right to speak considering how little input I've been giving over the past year but according to Wikipedia Forum moderators, a person given special powers to enforce the rules on an Internet forum, newsgroup or blog. As with any other definition it doesn't say anything about a moderator being the person responsible for keeping things lively, granted their input is partially what helps keep things going when it gets slow but it's really not what they're here for, it's to keep the peace more or less so discussions don't drift off topic or turn into nasty little conflicts consisting of threats and name calling. They give us support and input on how or what to do the things we can't get the answer for otherwise, other than that it's up to the members to make a forum what it is. A person like me can't afford to go out and buy a high end grill like the BGE and some of the recipes in Steven's books require ingredients that aren't always affordable for someone like me, I keep it simple and sometimes plain to fit into my budget and that was what this forum used to be like, plain and simple and affordable for the better part. I have watched the programs on TV and that's what really got me into wanting to BBQ and yes Steven does have about every grill or smoker known to man and he should if he doesn't already have a BGE in his arsenal of cookers, now that's where I get jealous, I want his collection. But it still goes back to the members, when I say it has changed it partially was because you hardly ever heard some one say I fired up the Chargriller or WSM today unless they owned more than one grill and wanted to designate just which cooker was used for clarification they would simply say I fired up the smoker or grill today no one here is disputing the quality of the BGE. I do think some have bought them more for status than anything else and no one is ever going to admit that food tastes the same on a expensive grill as it does on a cheap grill if done properly. If we the members want to try every recipe in Stevens cook books then by all means if you can then go for it and showcase your cook as I said earlier we already know what you cook on. I know this still sounds like a BGE bash but personally I don't much give a rats *** what you cook on but you don't have to keep reminding everyone what you did it on if it's the only grill/smoker you own. When some one like Griffin says he did it on the mini it's because he has two eggs and it may make a difference on how his cook goes. But when you start referring to your other cookers as being inferior to your BGE and how much better you cook because you own a BGE then maybe you are being just a tad snobbish we already know that ceramic cookers are probably the best on the market but you also have to give credit to the cooks ability to control the cook, to be able to take the challenge of fire control or being able to conquer the leaky cheap units and produce a tasty end product. It's about the food and fun of the cook, not the who, the grill/smoker or the moderators. Now I must get off the soap box because someone may need the wood to cook with, Amen, hallelujah and somebody please pass the Tylenol

Personally I think a sticky thread about kamado cookers might be a pretty good idea. It's a style that's really popular now and consolidating kamado-specific posts could be useful to those who have or are considering one, and if it encourages people from other, more kamado-oriented boards to pay us a visit from time to time I'm all for it.

Actually, I'll be posting a couple of polls (or maybe more?) in the next few days regarding that. Not only should we create a few new sticky threads including one for kamado cookers, but there are some other threads that should likely be "unstuck" as well. I'll be starting with the latter, but it might take a few days to get the wording right as the poll options for the new version of the board are different.

That is some sweet sounding music, Canada.

OK - if everyone would please check the top of the board, the first poll is there. We need to make room first before we add new stickies, so it's called "Sticky Thread Reorganization/Removal" and it's also (ironically?) a sticky thread. I'll post the second poll in a few days as the moderators have been discussing a few more ideas for new threads as well.

Unlike propane, you'll never wake up scorched and naked in another county because you mishandled a bag of briquettes.

Honestly, I don't care what the dictionary definition of a moderator is. Totally irrelevant. Back in the golden days of this board the folks who were moderators also were active participants in the activities of the board. This board was an active vibrant place, and every post got responses from one or more moderators. The moderators also helped keep things active on here. It was one of the things that made this board special, and once again I don't give a d*mn what you call it, it's sadly missing from this place and has been for years. If I sound angry, I am. This was a great place and I think it's gone forever.

As for people naming or not naming what grills they use, please are we serious here? In my case I had three grills including the BGE so it was natural for me to call out which grill I used. I don't get offended when someone mentions they cook the food on such and such a grill. A lot of folks here are interested in what grills the other members use. I never had any intention of getting a BGE, but as more and more of the members I followed around here started using BGE's, I became more interested. So I'm sorry but I think there is a place on a BBQ message board for people to mention what rig they use. Also I don't know if this is an outgrowth of the "Nobody loses, everybody wins" society; but I also won't apologize for saying how good the grill I happen to use is. Once again you may feel you don't want to use the BGE, or that they're too expensive, that is fine. Skip those posts. You mentioned people saying it is the only grill they use, that is correct. The BGE is a grill, smoker and outdoor oven. And guess what? When you look at it that way, it's not so expensive after all. But honestly while I don't care what grills people use, I do find the information interesting. In Planet Barbecue Steven mentions people cooking great food in the hubcap of a VW. This board has a ton of posts about CG's, UDS and WSM's. I don't let that bother me just because I don't happen to use any of them. Beercuer happens to use a CG, I no longer use a CG. But that doesn't mean I find his post any less interesting or that I mind he mentions he uses CG. Bottom line he does very creative cooks and I don't consider myself any better or worse than him because we use different grills. As others have said: it's all about the food. But I'm also interested in what the food is cooked on too.

I'm not going to waste any more time on this thread, because honestly I don't have a dog in this hunt anymore. I just thought it was silly when I heard people blaming food bloggers, BGE owners and all sorts of other silliness for what happened with this board. This board was once a great place, that has lost its luster. The total lack of involvement by the folks in charge is largely to blame for what has happened here. Many of the moderaters gave invaluable service to this board for years. But the the fact they've gotten busier with other things should mean someone else who has the time be appointed in their place. With the exception of ScreamingChicken the public indifference of the moderators (or whatever else you want to call them) has been going on for years. Just go back and read some of the post from the golden years and you can immediately see the difference.

I want you to know that I and the whole crew at Workman Publishing have followed this thread and take your comments very seriously. That's one of the reasons we redesigned and relaunched the site this morning -- to bring back the buzz from the early days of www.barbecuebible.com and to vastly broaden the scope of the topics we'll be covering on the site. Take a look at our new home page (click the “HOME" button in the top left of the navigation), and you'll find five new blog posts covering everything from your spring grill tune-up to what to grill when the boss shows up unexpectedly for dinner. (Hint: It begins with beef tenderloin.)

More importantly, I want you to know that I plan to be a regular presence on this forum moving forward. To answer your questions, drool over your creations (please keep posting your photos), share my travels on Planet Barbecue with you, and generally hang out around the grill.

I want you to know that I and the whole crew at Workman Publishing have followed this thread and take your comments very seriously. That's one of the reasons we redesigned and relaunched the site this morning -- to bring back the buzz from the early days of http://www.barbecuebible.com and to vastly broaden the scope of the topics we'll be covering on the site. Take a look at our new home page (click the “HOME" button in the top left of the navigation), and you'll find five new blog posts covering everything from your spring grill tune-up to what to grill when the boss shows up unexpectedly for dinner. (Hint: It begins with beef tenderloin.)

More importantly, I want you to know that I plan to be a regular presence on this forum moving forward. To answer your questions, drool over your creations (please keep posting your photos), share my travels on Planet Barbecue with you, and generally hang out around the grill.

So come on back and let the flames begin!

SR (Steven Raichlen)

Steven! Big welcome to your forum! I imagine you caught my comment on your homepage. Last few cooks, I've fired up some rather simple things, included last night's tacos with carne al pastor (but sigh, via cast iron skillet)-- not sure I should post that. However, simple as it is I spied some wild caught mahi-mahi burgers, and since that seems to be such a novelty, I look to fire those up tonight-- and I should share that just because it's the strangest thing I've come across recently. I do plan on some more crazy things to follow.

I want you to know that I and the crew at Workman Publishing have followed this thread and take your comments very seriously. That's one of the reasons we redesigned and relaunched the this morning--to recreate the buzz from the early days of www.barbecuebible.com. And vastly broaden the scope of the topics we'll be covering on the site. Take a look at our new home page (click "top left")--you'll find five new blog posts at once, covering everything from your spring grill tune up to what to grill when the boss shows up unexpectedly for dinner. (Hint: it begins with beef tenderloin.)

More importantly, I want you to know that I plan to be a regular presence on this forum moving forward. To answer your questions, drool over your creations (yeah, that's why you should post photos), share my travels on Planet Barbecue with you, and generally hang out around the grill.

I'm sorry but I chuckled a little when I read this, I mean isn't that what starts arguments.. ... I think we are all aware by now of what flaming can mean and please understand I saw it as humorous in my own twisted little way. Yep, I'm still here.